Tips for a successful outdoor projector install.
Projectors provide you with the opportunity to open up your back yard or public display area, with incredible imagery and a visual feast for the eyes! So what should you be looking for when purchasing an outdoor projector?
The resolution is one of the main considerations; you need a clean crisp quality image, for example a 1080p resolution is ideal and deciding what size of display screen you need will depend on the number of lumens of the projector. There are plenty of sites on the internet to help with the finer requirements of size and quality, where you can judge for yourself suitable requirements.
Indoor or an outdoor projector?
Whether you are looking to install an indoor home theater or back yard theater, there are two main pieces of electronic kit which are necessary: the projector and the screen. As before, size is a big consideration for both pieces – how many people are going to be seated around the screen, therefore what size can be accommodated in the space, which leads to the size of projector. A small capacity projector image will be lost when displayed on a huge screen; the clarity of the movie will not be defined and become fuzzy. It’s all in the planning – seating arrangements, refreshments, lighting and how to control the projector… You’ll be very popular in your neighborhood.
Speakers should also be a thought, as a poor quality audio accompaniment will let down the experience. People do hear sounds differently, but investing in a quality sound system will provide the necessary basis. Speakers can also be added around the thereat, for example outdoors in garden flower beds, hidden in sculptural features and indoors, positioned around the perimeter ceiling – it may take some attempts to achieve the right balance of sound. And this is worth the effort; imagine watching a block buster movie with poor, muffled and muted sound!
Deciding whether or not to leave out or take in the electronic hardware, like the projector itself is a decision only you can make – a number of factors come into play:
- Is it safe enough to leave out without getting vandalized or stolen– even just overnight?
- Will the weather (hot or cold) affect the projector performance?
- How much damage can the bugs in the garden do to the internal electronics?
Each of these questions is easily answered by installing the projector within a specially designed enclosure. This is a steel box, but much more specialized and sophisticated than ‘just a box’. The projector is safe inside, with thermostatic cooler/heater for hot or cold climates and a clear viewing window, which allows an uninterrupted image to be broadcast. It is a sealed unit, with two secure locks to keep the projector safe, yet allows for full access when necessary. It can be left out in the rain and snow and keeps all bugs out! But not only bugs, the wind can blow dust and very small foreign bodies into the electronics, which will render the kit useless and irreparable.
So, you’ve got your projector (safely protected by a ProEnc), the screen, additional speakers, the weather is great, plenty of comfy seating, the BBQ is hot and chilled refreshments – what are you waiting for….
ProEnc manufacture a range of protective outdoor projector housings.